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The testimony of Colossians.
Colossians, like Ephesians, speaks of "the hope" which is laid up for the believer. In
the opening of the third chapter, Paul assumes that these believers are "risen with Christ",
assures them that their life is hid with Christ in God, and that when Christ Who is our life
shall appear, then shall we also appear "with Him in glory" (Col. 3: 4). What is potential
in verse 1, "If ye then be risen with Christ", will be actual when our hope is fulfilled "at
His appearing".
The testimony of Philippians.
The actual resurrection of Christ is not mentioned in this epistle. Knowing the
teaching of the rest of Scripture, the resurrection is seen to be tacitly recognized in the
reference "Unto the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1: 6), or again in the second chapter, where
"the death of the cross" is followed, not by "He was buried, and the third day rose from
the dead", but "wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him" (Phil. 2: 9). Common
sense, apart from such references as Acts 2: 33, declares the resurrection is implied,
though not stated. So also is it with the Apostle's desire (Phil. 1: 23). Instead of this
absence being looked upon as an omission to be regretted, we shall discover that it
focuses our attention all the more on one aspect of resurrection, which it is the especial
office of this epistle to elaborate. This is expressed in the words of chapter 3: 11-21:
"That I may know Him,
And the power of His resurrection,
And the fellowship of His sufferings,
Being made comformable unto His death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (3: 10, 11).
The two words mostly translated `to know' are seen in the Greek oida, meaning
something seen or perceived, and ginosko, meaning obtain a personal insight into, so, as
Dr. Bullinger, in his Lexicon put is:
"Hence the force of (this word) in Matt. 7:23, `I have never had a true and personal
connection with you'."
The Apostle is here expressing a desire for a deeper, personal knowledge not merely
of doctrine and dispensation, but of intimate association. The words that follow indicate
the direction of his thoughts:
"and the power of His resurrection."
No one could be more convinced of the historic fact of the resurrection of Christ than
Paul, but here, he wants to know its "power". Once again, we must recognize that the
Apostle has in mind some extraordinary experiences, for in his earlier epistles, the
association of `power' with the resurrection is emphasized:
"Declared to be the Son of God with power . . . . . by the resurrection" (Rom. 1: 4).
"And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by His own power"
(I Cor. 6: 14).